Nicole Cook joined Tennessee Tech in the Fall of 2018 as an instructor of Criminology & Criminal Justice. Prior to joining Tech, she attended graduate school at MTSU where she earned her M.A. in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology. Her previous research has examined prison adjustment for women serving life sentences, pathways to prison for women, and re-entry. She is also interested in researching alternatives to incarceration and restorative justice programming.

Before teaching, Ms. Cook worked as a felony probation officer during which time she worked with individuals being released after a period of incarceration. In partnering with her clients, she was able to aid in finding employment, housing, and programming to benefit them in establishing a stable living environment for themselves and their families post-incarceration.